


And so it begins

by Createdforyou



Category: WTFock | Skam (Belgium)
Genre: Angst with a Happy Ending, M/M, New Years, Strangers to Lovers, but then robbe is there :), sander is sad :(
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-05
Updated: 2021-01-05
Packaged: 2021-03-15 09:29:26
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,954
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28561329
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Createdforyou/pseuds/Createdforyou
Summary: Sander contemplates on New Years Eve until he sees a beautiful stranger.
Relationships: Sander Driesen/Robbe IJzermans
Comments: 22
Kudos: 70





	And so it begins

**Author's Note:**

> Hi! This is a late New Years fic. I didn’t mean for it to be kinda angsty but that’s how it turned out lol. This is also going out of my comfort zone writing-wise part 2 and I’m a little scared haha  
> Warning for those who need it, sander finds it a little hard to breathe throughout the fic but it’s nothing serious or detailed, but just in case.
> 
> But now Im going to run and hide oki byeeeeeee

A splendor of reds, blues, pinks and purples. 

That’s all Sander saw as his eyes glazed over the swarming bodies dancing and drinking under neon lights and as he sat at the bar by his lonesome with a drink in hand. He didn’t come alone though, dragged by his friends to a club for New Year’s Eve. He sank further in his seat, his glower getting darker at the notion. New Year’s Eve, new beginnings, it all just sounded like a farce. He knew if he was partying hard right now, getting shitfaced with his friends, the next day would be no different. He’d still be sitting there with that empty feeling, with no motivation, a lack of energy for the upcoming stress of the future, except then he’d just have a massive hangover contaminated with the feelings. 

He looked over to Adi and Noor who stood on the dance floor, swaying their hips to the music. Noor’s short, dark hair reflected the lights and so did the piercings in her ear and septum. The black ink of her tattoos glistened as she moved her arms and the short red dress she wore hung off her body in a flattering way. She might’ve had one drink too many and tripped over Adi clad in his grey shirt, her hand getting caught in his dark locks. He steadied her easily and smiled, probably offering to get her some water, and then they hung their arms over each other’s shoulders and laughed, stumbling away. 

At least his friends were having fun, thought Sander.

It was thirty minutes to midnight and though he was dismal at them leaving him, he couldn’t really blame them. Sometimes he liked to spend his time alone and he could appreciate when they knew he needed the space. Needed to wallow a little. 

He looked down, shaking his glass and circling the liquid of his gin and tonic. But wallowing usually lead to being alone with his thoughts. And being alone with his thoughts lead to a cycle of thoughts, over and over and over again until he felt the tight constriction in his chest, started to feel unreal, like he wasn’t made of skin and bone, like he wasn’t in his body, like something had taken over and his eyes stopped moving, as if he was an outsider looking in and hecouldntbreatheanymore and _oh God._

Sander found a way to breathe and then he had the overwhelming need to leave. He looked up towards the club doors and when he did, he saw maybe the most beautiful face he’d ever seen enter the club. It made him frozen where he sat, his legs unable to move. It didn’t look like a person. He looked like something out of the figment of his imagination, something that artists depict in wondrous strokes. He looked like an angel. 

He was strutting forward in a black shirt, his olive pants hung fitting and low on him, and he was laughing with his friends as they said something to him. His dark hair was shining blues and pinks under the lights and his eyes… Sander couldn’t see his eyes, squinting from the laughs, but he was already sure they were beautiful. 

“Are you gonna sit here all night long?” a voice pulled him out of his trance. He looked to the side to see Adi standing there with a curious grin. As he looked at him, his body was slowly starting to become his own again. 

“Where’s Noor?” Sander asked. 

“I called her a cab home, she’s fucking wasted, bro,” he answered. 

“And the others?” Sander looked around. By ‘others’ he meant some of the ones Adi, Noor and him often spray with. 

“They’re around. Somewhere,” said Adi, shrugging. “Come on,” he pulled his arm. “You’re missing out on all the fun. It’s almost ten minutes to midnight.”

 _What_? Had it already been twenty minutes that he’d just sat there, staring into space?

Sander wanted to protest, and he would’ve just made himself dead weight until Adi let go, but that’s when he saw him again. He saw the angel on the dance floor drifting in and out of the faces in the crowd, his black shirt making him almost incapable of finding him in the sea of people. It was such a contrast to the white shirt he was wearing and the white, bleached hair he’d dyed at the spur of the moment one night, the lights flickering brightly on them. But right there and then, he’d made it his goal to find him. 

He let himself be taken by Adi, wading through the bodies, hot and sticky sweat that didn’t just belong to him clinging. Pretty soon, he was losing himself and it was getting hot and bright and the lights were flashing too fast. He couldn’t see him anymore, hidden in the dancing bodies. Maybe he could find one of his friends that came with him, maybe he’d latch onto one of them for the night: the tall one, lanky with dark hair or the confident one with plump lips, telling a story in exaggerated gestures, or the one with curly hair, excited and giddy. 

But _he_ was nowhere to be found. 

Sander looked up at the huge screen displayed for the New Year’s countdown. Seven minutes until midnight. 

And then he saw him. 

And he was looking back at him.

It was a flash in the blurry of faces, but Sander was sure he’d seen his dark eyes peering at him from across the room and for some odd, indecipherable reason, he needed those eyes on him, needed him to look at him that way forever. He pushed his way through the crowd, trying to reach him, but then he disappeared again. 

“You okay?” he heard Adi shout at him over the blaring music. Tearing himself away from where the boy was just a few moments ago, Sander faced Adi. “Do you wanna go home?”

“No, no, it’s like six minutes to midnight. You stay, I’ll be around,” he answered, shouting equally loud.

“You’re leaving me? At midnight?” Adi pouted. “Let me know where you are, though,” he added. And with that, Sander spun around looking for his angel again. 

Maybe he was in the bathroom. But right before midnight? He almost wanted to check and willed himself to stay to not make a fool of himself. He saw one of the angel’s friends in the crowd, the tall one. Almost went over to him, until he saw a girl with long, dark hair throwing an arm around him, smiling. He spent a few more minutes passing through the mass of people. He needed a drink. 

It took two minutes for him to reach the bar, one minute to brace himself, thinking of how ridiculous he was being, thirty seconds to lay eyes on him again. 

And then time slowed, and he was walking in hazy jello. 

Sander heard the crowd gathering and cheering, preparing for the countdown, the lights flashing heavier now, but the only thing that was on his mind was the boy he’d been trying to find for the past ten minutes. And now that he had, he wasn’t letting him out of his sight. 

10...9…

His footsteps felt heavy, like he was dragging lead through water, and he was getting anxious that it wouldn’t let him walk faster. Was he dreaming or hallucinating? He hadn’t drank that much. 

8...7...6…

Their eyes locked for another moment and then Sander saw him walking by the club doors grabbing his brown puffy jacket. 

5...4…

Sander rid himself of the lead in his legs and bolted near the doors to grab his own leather jacket.

3…

He felt the wind chill him to the bone. 

2…

He looked out into the night to see empty streets.

1

“You found me,” a soft voice came from behind him. 

* * *

Sander was at a loss. At a loss for words, at a loss for movement, his throat felt dry and scratchy and as their eyes finally met, the contact _holding,_ he couldn’t bear to break the silence as he watched an angel before him. How could he?

“You’ve been following me for a while,” the angel gave a slight smirk. His eyes shined brightly and Sander could now see pools of rich chocolate in them, swirling in warm browns and caramels. He’d like to drown. 

“Yeah, uh, sorry, I...I didn’t mean to be a creep,” said Sander, his eyes flickering down.

“Well, you found me. What did you want to say to me?” the boy’s lips curved into a small smile. 

Say? Sander hadn’t planned as far as to what he would actually _say_? He didn’t think he’d get this far at all. He wasn’t sure what exactly drew him, attraction and curiosity like a moth to a flame, but he knew that he just saw him and wondered what kind of world awaited with someone like him. He looked at the soft curls in his hair flowing, his eyes shining, his mouth twisted in such an inviting smile.

“I’m not really sure,” Sander shrugged, answering truthfully. Now he really seemed like a creep. _Answer him, Sander, say something substantial_ . “I just wanted to say you’re really pretty.” _Way to go, creep._

But he saw the angel shake with laughter and his heart couldn’t stay still as it fluttered. 

“Thanks,” he said. “You’re very pretty, too.”

Sander sunk into a warm glow when he saw the smile that stretched across his face and his mind was buzzing now. 

“Do you wanna get out of here?” he asked. 

“I barely know you,” the angel shyly looked down. 

“I don’t know you, either,” Sander smirked. “But it’s New Years and we’re both here and we both think each other pretty.” 

He didn’t think he’d use the ‘New Year’ line, however, a newfound confidence was slowly dawning upon him and he if had even a sliver of a chance to spend the night with this boy, he was going to take it. He saw him contemplate the offer, his eyes shining as they moved across his face back and forth, the small smile that curved upon his lips, the way he tucked his neck in shyly, thinking and deciding. He seemed to give up his inner struggle and let out the quietest mewl of acceptance. Lifting his head and digging his hands deeper into the pocket of his puffy jacket, he said, 

“I’m Robbe.” 

“Sander,” he smiled, beaming at him. 

* * *

“Happy New Year, by the way,” Robbe said leaning against the bench they sat on. It was dark out with the city lights illuminating the streets, creating hazy glows in the contours of their faces while the roads glistened with the aftertaste of rain making the air thick and wet. And it was quiet. The type of silence that begged a conversation, whether it was in hushed tones or loud laughter.

“It’s a New Year alright,” said Sander, laughing a bit bitterly as he sipped his canned drink. They’d gotten some more drinks, gin and tonic at Sander’s request, and Robbe hadn’t opened his yet, just sitting there soaking in the night. 

“What’s wrong with New Years?” he asked. 

“Nothing,” shrugged Sander, holding his drink. “It’s just not that big of a deal. Or maybe it’s that it’s too much of a big deal, goals and achievements for a whole year and everything. It’s a bit overwhelming.”

He took a long sip as he felt Robbe’s eyes on him. He finally heard the ‘pop’ of his can opening, clacking as he pushed the metal back. 

“Maybe you don’t have to look at it for a _year_ ,” said Robbe. “You can take it slow. Start with something small, tiny even, like a minute.”

“A minute?”

Sander looked over to him, his eyebrow rising. Robbe just chuckled with a smile, his lips thinning out. 

“Yeah, just focus on what you're doing for a minute and not worry about the next minute or three thousand,” he said.

As he watched him finally take a sip of his gin and tonic, Sander couldn’t help noticing the bizarre amount of warmth radiating from him. His eyes were kind and innocent and his smile was absolutely infectious, his lips like something from a dream. It was something he wasn’t used to, this kind of warmth. Never had he felt something both somehow familiar and unfamiliar from a stranger before. It was nice. _He_ was nice.

“Don’t look at me like it’s stupid, my friend told me that once. It might help,” Robbe giggled. Sander melted at the sound. He even laughed like an angel. 

“I don’t think it’s stupid. Thanks for the advice,” he said, his lips curving. 

:Anytime,” Robbe said, taking another sip. His face contorted, eyebrows scrunching and his mouth pursed. “This is disgusting, by the way,” he said. Sander laughed at that.

“Mine’s pretty much already done,” he shook the empty can. Robbe took one more sip, for whatever reason, the liquid dribbling a little at his lips and handed his can to Sander, wiping away his mouth with the back of his hand. 

“You can have mine,” he said, shaking his head and looking like his tongue was clinging to the roof of his mouth to deal with the taste. Sander took it from him, their fingers brushing the slightest, the metal of the can warm from where Robbe held it. Then, he looked down at the opening on it and realized this was where his lips had touched it. The metal was still shimmering wet with droplets of the drink and the mist of his breath. He was about to drink in the taste of him. 

“Speaking of friends, why aren’t you with them?” 

Sander looked up at him at that. He’d seen his friends? That means he’d seen _him_. He had really seen him, too. How long had he seen him for? How long had he-

“Well I...I could ask you the same,” he stumbled through his response, eyes blinking in daze-like surprise. Robbe laughed a tiny laugh, shaking his head and looking down. He rubbed his hands on his thighs as he took a breath in from the laughter. 

“I just needed to clear my head. My friends are idiots sometimes and they get really loud,” he answered. 

“A club is very loud,” Sander deadpanned, indirectly asking him what he was doing at a club then. Robbe took a moment before saying,

“It is. Now, _your_ friends.” 

Sander didn’t really know what answer to give him this time. He probably would’ve ended up spending midnight on that stool of the bar if he hadn’t looked up to see him. He probably would’ve stayed with Adi, and Noor if she hadn’t gone home early, cheering through the New Year’s because that’s what you’re supposed to do. But quite frankly, he was getting tired of doing what he was supposed to do. 

“New Year’s is not really my thing, but you know that already. And I kind of actually got a little distracted by you,” he looked at him, sure that his own eyes were gleaming, waiting to see his reaction. 

“Me?” Robbe asked, confused and bewildered.

“Yes, you.”

“Why me?”

“Because you’re beautiful.”

And now Sander couldn’t stop himself. He’d already started and the filter from his brain to his mouth had completely vanished. Those three or four words had completely broken down that path, the restraint it took to keep himself from saying that. How could he not? When Robbe sat there with his eyes deep brown mixing like the earthy soil that sprouted greens.When his clothes hung off of him loosely, looking effortlessly leisurely, the bones set in his face structured like some artist had meant to sculpt him that way, when his lips were drenched with such softness. He couldn’t stop himself. 

“And I wanted to find you, and I just thought I wanted to get to know you. Because maybe I would find something I hadn’t found anywhere else. There was some kind of curiosity in me, I don’t know how to explain it,” he sighed. When Robbe didn’t respond for a while he tore himself away from his eyes, dug his hands into the pockets of his leather jacket and looked at the seams of his black jeans, hoping the honesty wasn’t scaring him away. 

“You know what I think?” Robbe asked quietly. 

“Hmmm,” Sander hummed without looking up.

“I think you’re really sad.” 

Robbe didn’t sound mean, though and Sander was astonished to look up at him again to see him smiling, teasing even.

“I’m not sad,” he gave him a look. “I’m not!” he exclaimed, laughing with Robbe as his shoulders shook. “I just...I think I’m just lonely.” 

But maybe sad and lonely were both the same. The kind of thing that merged into one feeling, one that became a part of one’s being and you really wouldn’t know the difference anymore, sitting in the midst of your friends, dissociating through the conversations. 

“Yeah, me too,” Robbe said. 

A bit of silence washed over them. 

“I’ve never had a New Year’s kiss before,” he said, and hearing that Sander didn’t know if the two statements were related or he was just trying to change the subject and make lighter conversation. 

“Me neither,” Sander sighed. He shifted slightly to face him. “Do you want to?”

There it was again. His filter gone. His implications clear. 

Robbe faced him as well, his eyes glazing over his. “It’s past midnight,” he almost pouted. 

Sander shrugged. “Does that matter?” 

“The whole point of kissing someone on New Year’s is to do it when the clock strikes midnight,” Robbe gave him a tilt of his head and a stern look, a hint of a smile still playing on his mouth. 

“Do you always do what you’re supposed to do?” Sander asked. “Don’t you ever break the rules?” he teased. 

“Careful, Sander,” he smirked, and it made Sander almost faint from the way his name rolled off his tongue. Made him want to hear his name a different way, screamed and panted in his ear. “It almost sounds like you really wanna kiss me.”

“I do.”

He was being extremely bold tonight. And maybe it was easier when he’d been telling him everything on his mind all night anyway. He saw Robbe scoff and turn his head with a shy smile. He saw him deliberate, saw his fingers drum on his thighs, his leg shaking as he tried to make up his mind. _Kiss me,_ thought Sander. _Please kiss me._

Robbe’s leg stopped shaking abruptly and Sander’s breath hitched. His fingers stopped tapping and suddenly they were on his neck, trailing softly into the ends of his bleached hair. He leaned in even further, touching his forehead to his and Sander could smell his cologne, see the freckles splattered across his cheeks, the wind and cold air making them blush in pinks and reds. Robbe’s eyes travelled from his, green and shattered, to his dry lips.

“Okay,” he whispered. 

And then he was kissing him and Sander was sure he’d gone to heaven. 

* * *

They’d sat there with their lips on each other for a while, warmth flowing through each other’s bodies to keep from the cold. Robbe had straddled him by now on the bench, his legs on either side of him, his hands on his shoulders and neck and everywhere, _everywhere_. Sander had slipped his hands in his shirt, feeling the muscles on his back, fingers tracing the bones. His lips were devouring him, tongue slipping in from time to time, tasting him, teasing him, trying every which way to please him. And Robbe was indeed pleased, making appreciative sounds that were driving Sander mad. His fingers had just trailed the edge of his pants when Robbe grabbed his hand. 

“Not here,” he said, his lips pulling off of him slowly. 

“Obviously,” Sander said, trying not to sound embarrassed that he’d actually forgotten where they were for a moment. Robbe pulled off him completely, swinging his legs back to the ground, leaving Sander whining for the loss of heat, but his hands grabbed his to lift him up, too. They met with another kiss, then another. “My place or yours?” Sander asked with a low murmur. Kissing him again, he said, “Please say yours.”

He felt Robbe smile into the next kiss they shared. “Yours,” he said jokingly. Their lips met again. “Actually, it’s gonna have to be yours. My roommates are home tonight, having their own kind of New Year’s night. And while we’re pretty close, it would be hard to explain to them why I’m bringing you home,” he smirked. 

“If you’re close and your friends are idiots, why aren’t you with them?” Sander held his hands as they swayed this way and that, a little tipsy from all the combined drinks they’ve had tonight. 

“They’re the ones who actually encouraged me to go out and have fun tonight for once in my life. It’s why I was at the club, why I left around midnight and didn’t really wanna be there,” he said. Sander wrapped his arms around his waist. He could feel Robbe getting more and more comfortable with him and some part of him didn’t want to let that go if it came to that in the morning. They were strangers after all. 

“But if you’re not cool with that then we could-”

“No, don’t worry. It’s fine,” Sander smiled and kissed him once again.

Soon enough, they were stumbling through the door of his flat, Robbe landing his back on it as Sander pushed him against it, each kiss more maddening than the last. He felt Robbe’s hands grab the ends of his jacket, pulling and tugging, wanting it off, _off_. It made a thud on the floor somewhere as Sander went to work on his neck, taking off Robbe’s jacket, too. He kissed him hard and soft, teeth pulling at the skin, tongue soothing the burn. Robbe pulled him closer, if he could have even done that, and Sander tripped over his feet, suddenly fully aware of their shoes. He had to internally groan though because while Robbe’s were Vans, simple enough to pull off with his feet, Sander had been wearing his Doc Martens with insanely tangled laces. Of the five days he’d worn his converse instead, tonight couldn’t have been one of them?

“Fuck,” he cursed, trying to get the laces, eliciting a giggle from Robbe. 

“Do you need help?” he asked. 

“No, I’ve almost got it,” Sander pulled on the last one, kicking his shoes to the side. 

He pulled him in for another kiss and they leaned against the door with heavy breaths and groans. Robbe’s hands came down to his waist to lift his shirt and Sander saw stars dying and he felt his chest constrict again and he couldn’t. breathe. a n y m o r e. 

He backed away slightly, his hands steadying Robbe’s arms. 

“Do you want me to stop?” Robbe asked, panting just as hard as him, his eyes like glass as his hands started to pull away. 

“No, don’t stop,” Sander breathed out like a prayer. “Just…” he tried to suck in air. “Just give me a minute.” 

Robbe seemed to understand, giving him a bit of space to get his grip on reality. But his hands slowly encased his fingers, his thumb softly rubbing calming circles on his knuckles. _Fuck_. He really was an angel. 

After an eternity passed, Sander’s breathing steadied, his heart rate lowering and he gripped reality.

“I’m sorry,” he whispered, still unable to look at him. 

“Don’t be,” Robbe whispered back, his forehead touching his. 

Sander’s heart felt like it was about to burst as he took his lips in his mouth again. Slower this time. He dragged him towards his room, trying not to be self-conscious of the mess it was inside. Once their shirts were pulled overhead and thrown aside and they were laying on the bed, Sander took a moment to really cherish the kisses. He tried to go slower and steadier, to keep his mind from reeling, to keep him from getting lost in it. But Robbe’s fingers pulling the buckle of his belt was not helping him with the heat at all. He pulled away to swiftly unbuckle it, then took the time to unbuckle Robbe’s, both giggling and laughing when his fingers couldn’t get it fast enough. He slid his pants off in a rush. 

Once they were both settled onto the bed, he saw Robbe looking up at him with such endearing eyes. Treasuring the browns that looked golden in the low light of his bedside lamps, he kissed him softly, his lips melting into his, but Sander’s breaths were becoming heavy with something agonizing. Robbe seemed to realize as he wrapped his arms fully around his shoulders and it was like he was trying to ground him. Trying to keep him solidified in the here and now. He pulled away brushing his nose across Sander’s. 

“Maybe you’ll find what you were looking for,” he whispered, earning a look of confusion from Sander. “You said you’d wanted to find something in me that you couldn’t find anywhere else. I hope you do,” he clarified. 

And Sander didn’t know how to quantify how much he just wanted to engulf his entire being with him, moulding and meshing until they just became one. He kissed him slowly and softly, then they were both filled with burning desire. 

Sander had wanted him to scream his name earlier, and it turns out that tonight, all his wants, his dreams and wishes, were coming true. 

* * *

He’d awoken to sunlight befallen on his face through the curtains and blurry vision from not being able to open his eyes yet. Rubbing them he saw shapes and colours familiar to him coming into focus. Remembering last night, his heart leapt at the possibility of having-

No one. 

The bed beside him was empty and cold. 

He’d probably left much earlier in the morning if his side of the bed was still cold. 

Groaning, Sander rubbed his whole face with his right hand. He’d expected it. Somewhere in the back of his mind he really did. But somewhere in the pit of his heart, he was holding onto hope. Hoping he would stay. 

Looking around his room, he saw that it looked a bit different, _off_ , somehow. Then he realized that it was clean. Or at least cleaner than it had been last night. His books were stacked neatly on his desk, his sketchbooks laid out nicely, his pencils all put away in his pencil jar. The clothes strewn on the floor were gone too (he tried not to think about how that meant _he_ was gone), folded at the foot of his bed. It both irritated and endeared Sander. That he’d thought of him. That he thought to put away his things and maybe that it would make the clutter disappear not only in his room, but in his mind. 

He heard a shrill ringing and realized it was his phone. He saw it placed at his bedside table, easy to reach. He’d even thought to do _that_ , thought Sander. He wished that he wasn’t awake so early, the front of his forehead pounding from the lack of sleep. He wasn’t exactly doing much _sleeping_ last night. Seeing the caller ID flash _Adi_ , he braced himself with dread as he picked it up. 

“What the fuck Sander? I told you to let me know where you were,” his rough voice shouted through the phone. Sander cringed at the sound. “I’ve been looking for you everywhere since last night, I’ve tried calling Noor, I’ve looked everywhere, I thought you were in a ditch or something,” he continued shouting. Rightfully so, as he’d forgotten to tell his friend where he’d been. Then he heard his voice soften, the initial anger wearing off. “Where were you?” 

Sander didn’t have the heart nor the energy to tell him. He couldn’t deal with making a fool of himself right now, so he softly whispered,

“With an angel.” 

“What?” he heard Adi on the other line. 

“I was with someone,” Sander cleared his throat, “I’ll tell you when we meet.” 

“Dude, I want an explanation,” he heard him laugh and that’s when he cut the line. He couldn’t bear to laugh about this. 

* * *

Standing in line at the coffee shop with Adi, he felt very unlike himself. It had been a week since his night with Robbe and he had not left his mind since. He tried not to think of him because that would be easier, that would make this easier. They would be just two people that stumbled upon each other at the right place and the right time and it wasn’t meant to continue. Life was cruel like that. Making him chase one high after another. But he really wasn’t drawn to him just because he was beautiful or because he wanted some one night stand. 

He just wanted his black coffee and the bitterness to swallow him whole. 

“Are you ever gonna tell me what the fuck happened?” Adi’s lips curved at him. 

He also hadn’t really told Adi about him either. Was there even a point, if it had all ended before it began? How the hell was he going to tell him he slept with a stranger and expected them to stay. 

“Coffee first, talk later,” Sander groaned as Adi chuckled beside him. 

He spent a few minutes checking his phone and fiddling around with notifications and apps, digging his hand into the pocket of his leather jacket until he heard a voice behind him. 

“Sander?”

That voice seemed awfully familiar. He stopped mid-scroll and slowly turned around to face an angel. His angel. 

He was wearing a maroon beanie today with his orange-brown jacket, his curls peeking out from underneath and his eyes were an absolutely rich shade of brown. His lips were curved in that same warm and inviting smile. 

“Robbe?” 

“Hi,” he said shyly. 

“Hey,” Sander couldn’t form words as he stuffed his phone in his pocket and stepped a few steps away from Adi. If he heard this conversation he was dreading, Sander would never hear the end of it. “What are you doing here?”

“They sell coffee here, I’m assuming,” he smiled pointing to the sign of the cafe. 

Sander blinked, finally registering the joke. He didn’t know what else to say. What _could_ he say to try to be casual and nonchalant and keep him from sounding like an idiot. He tried not to look into his eyes, but failed miserably. 

“I just...didn’t think I’d see you again, is all,” he replied, his shoulders slumping. Now Robbe’s face went slack with confusion and maybe a hint of nervousness?

“What do you mean?” he asked him cautiously. 

Adi had gotten his coffee by now and he sent Sander glances to ask if he wanted him to order for him, too. Sander shook his head at him and he nodded as he took his cup to wait for him at a table. Thank God for Adi knowing how to read the room. 

Robbe moved up the line with him and Sander gestured for him to order first. He still hadn’t answered his question. They waited in brisk silence as the barista made Robbe’s order, not really looking at each other. Or at least, trying not to. 

“I didn’t hear you leave last week,” Sander said quietly. Robbe knew exactly what he meant. 

“Sorry, I didn’t wanna wake you. I did leave a note though,” he said. 

Sander felt his head spin.

“A note?” he asked, dumbfounded. 

“Yeah, I left it on your dresser that morning before I left. The floor creaks beside your bedside table so I didn’t wanna go back to leave it there,” he explained. Robbe seemed just as confused as he was and he was maybe slowly coming to the realization that…

“I didn’t see the note,” Sander mumbled quietly. 

“Oh.” Robbe said. The tension seemed to ease, but only a little. Sander could sense an inner turmoil in him as he watched him shove his hands in his pockets harder. 

“What did it say?”

“Nothing important, really,” he replied, his eyes gaining his spark back, a smile stretching across his lips. And Sander wanted to bang his head on the wall because _of course the note was_ **_important_ ** _._

“It just said ‘I had fun last night’” he continued while laughing, clearly embarrassed now. 

Sander couldn’t believe this. He could feel the smile that was beaming across his face, a smile caused by Robbe’s own. His stomach started to flutter already thinking about that night. It was definitely fun, but to him it was also so much more. He could only hope it was more for Robbe, too. 

“The sex was that good huh?” he teased. He saw him look down shyly, could almost feel the heat radiate off his cheeks. At this point, the barista had come up to the counter to hand Robbe his drink. Sander watched him pay for it, waiting for his answer. 

“Yeah. Among other things,” he said quietly, once they stepped aside to let the people behind them order. 

“And you weren’t going to leave your number?”Sander raised an eyebrow, teasing him all that he could. 

“I’m not exactly the smartest when it comes to pretty people,” Robbe countered. “But I think I did. Besides, it had been a week and it made me think I was right for just leaving a simple note,” he avoided his eyes. 

Sander’s heart sank a bit at that and then he realized something.The whole time he was thinking that he wanted nothing to do with him after last night, that he was just looking for a hookup or something, Robbe had been thinking the same. 

“No, I just didn’t see the note because I’m an idiot and my room’s a mess and I thought you left and -”

“You thought I left?” Robbe immediately interrupted. There was a moment of sparks created between their gazes. And now it was Sander’s turn to be flustered. 

“Well, I wasn’t expecting like, like breakfast or anything like that. But I wanted to, at the very least, maybe wake up to you next to me,” he mumbled. 

Robbe was silent again. He was doing that thing where he just stopped talking and stared at him in wonder, taking him in, soaking him up, lips moving delicately into a smile. It made his stomach twist and turn. 

“Well, how about I give you my number and you can wake up next to me this time,” he gestured to the phone that Sander was still gripping in his hand. He watched as he swiftly put his number in and handed the device back to him, smiling sweetly. 

Sander felt like he was on cloud nine, drifting and floating away. He felt a warm glow in his heart slowly rippling out throughout his whole body. He was fusing into himself, melting into pools of warmth. He was absolutely drowning in it. And he almost didn’t want to breathe. 

“I’ll see you around, Sander,” Robbe tipped his cup towards him and walked away smoothly, smiling steadily. 

Sander wasn’t much for New Years, or new beginnings, no. But he was getting used to the idea that they weren’t a farce after all. Especially now that he had some beginnings to actually look forward to. 

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks for reading! Let me know if you liked it (or didnt lol) *heart emojis*


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